


My new favorite color

by Meero94



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 11:20:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2849063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meero94/pseuds/Meero94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em> “Sometimes you meet someone and even though you never liked blue eyes before, their eyes are your new favourite color.” –unknown </em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	My new favorite color

**Author's Note:**

> Written for In The Flesh Secret Santa for the lovely **Kierenwvlks** for the prompt; **Artist!Kieren and Poet!Simon**  
>  I'm so sorry if this isn't what you had in mind (I really tried) but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

_“_ _Sometimes you meet someone and even though you_ _never liked blue eyes before, their eyes are your favourite color.” –unknown_

The first time they meet, Kieren has a swipe of red on his left cheek. He’s angry with his Modern Arts professor and is ranting about it to his best friend Amy, when he runs smack into another bloke. The man curses softly and bends down to retrieve his papers and the assortment of pens he dropped upon their collision. Kieren is quick to help with collecting the dark-haired man’s items, but his temper is flaring still so he doesn’t offer an apology. Barely glances at the other student when he mutters a quick thank you. Kieren nods once, his gaze signaling Amy to move, and starts forwards again, his ring-adorned hand brushing blond strands out of his face.

He is completely unaware of blue eyes following him down the hallway.

❅❅❅

The second time is at a friend’s café where Kieren has a sketchbook propped on a knee, and charcoal covering his fingers. He draws the people passing on the street, smudging some lines to emphasize the cold weather and the fog outside the windows. His eyes start burning and he has to blink a few times to clear them. It’s an obvious sign that he has to stop for a bit, but Kieren’s final project of the semester is due in three weeks and he has nothing. Well, nothing worth handing in anyway.

Kieren lets out a frustrated breath and rubs at his eyes in tiredness. He puts down his sketchbook for the first time in two hours and reaches for his cup of coffee instead –except that the coffee has turned ice cold while he painted. He knows that any other café would have kicked him out by now for not buying anything else, but knowing the owners definitely has its advantages. Kieren sighs and waves at Philip, one of his closest friends and Amy’s boyfriend, to get him another cup. The man rolls his eyes at Kieren but nods with a smile a moment later, and Kieren is instantly thankful that he doesn’t have to actually get up and order. The lack of sleep is really taking its toll on him.

While he waits for his coffee –a caramel latte- Kieren inspects the other patrons of the shop. It isn’t as crowded as usual, since most sensible human beings were home hiding from the cold, but Kieren could pick out the other uni kids. Most of which have papers strewn across their tables and haunted looks on their faces. He looks on in understanding amusement, his eyes settling on each person for a few moments then moving on. Until his gaze finally settles on a bale young man and stays there, because this one is openly staring back at Kieren.

The man smiles, a slight upturn of his lips and nods at Kieren as if he knows him but the latter is certain they’ve never met before. Although a niggling sense of familiarity at the bottom of his mind tells him otherwise.  Kieren raises his eyebrows at the guy, as if to ask _what are you looking at_ which is, alright, a bit hypocritical on his part. Since he spends so much time people-watching.

At any rate, Kieren’s raised eyebrows seem to have no effect on the guy. On the contrary, his smile pulls up more to the right side and he shrugs. Kieren is saved from overthinking that by Philip appearing in his line of vision, and effectively cutting off his view of Light Blue Eyes –not that Kieren is all that sure of the man’s eye color, but it did look bluish.

“How’s that term painting turning out, mate?” Philip asks as he places down Kieren’s usual, and tsks at the old cup sitting on the table. “You’re lucky we’re friends or my mum would kick you out. All that coffee going to waste.”

“Your mum loves me,” Kieren states distractedly, trying to peek around Philip at the strange guy he just had a staring match with. “And the painting is shite,” He sighs in defeat, Philip is built like an overly friendly bear and there’s just no hope of getting a glimpse beyond him. Blue Eyes must wait. “There isn’t enough _passion_ in it, according to my Professor. Says it’s not that inspired and won’t get a good mark.”

“Uh, that sounds bad. Don’t have much time now, do you?”

“Three weeks,” Kieren answers with misery itched into his words. There is no way he can find his muse _and_ finish up a painting worth handing in if he doesn’t start soon. “And I’ve already shown her two different projects. I’m at a loss.”

“I’m telling you it’s not your fault; that Maxine lady is the devil’s incantation… or so Amy keeps saying. I wouldn’t know, really, but I do trust her opinions and she’s got a rather strong one of this woman.”

“Well, not that I disagree but Amy might be a little biased here,” Kieren smiles at the thought of his best friend’s indignation on his part.

“Well, be it as it may, I’ll leave you to work now. Have got to get back to my own job.” Philip grins, picks up the old cup of coffee, and heads back to his place behind the counter.

Kieren smiles after his friend, but a second later his eyes slide of their own accord to the table across from him where Blue Eyes sat –only to find it empty. Something like disappointment weighs down on Kieren, and he loves Philip he does, but he lets out a string of creative insults at his oblivious friend.

With his lips pulled down in a frown, Kieren grabs his book and goes back to sketching the world outside. His cup of coffee all but forgotten once again.

❅❅❅

The third time they meet Kieren’s stomach gives a funny little flip and he’s too busy hiding a pleased smile to feel embarrassed. The boy is sitting against a tree this time, despite how absurd it is in such weather, and has a few other students gathered around him while he reads. Kieren realizes with a jolt that he doesn’t really know whether the man is a student or a Professor. He only assumed his occupation because of the numerous papers he had at the café, and the fact that he was at a café frequented mostly by students. Still, Kieren could easily be crushing on a teacher. Which, no, been there done that and it’s not happening again thank you very much.

The guy looks up just as Kieren passes the group and does a double take. Kieren notes silently that his eyes really are a beautiful light blue, and gives himself a mental pat on the back, but otherwise keeps walking.

He doesn’t expect more from the semi-encounter, but he’s proven wrong when a few steps later someone catches up to him.

“Excuse me,” A voice says from behind Kieren, it’s slow and rich, every letter deliberate, and it reminds Kieren of dark blues and the warm glow of a fire. Which is so strange a thought that Kieren misses the next words said to him. He turns around and stares dumbly at the owner of the voice.

Blue Eyes stares back at Kieren with a straight face, but the glint of amusement in his eyes is impossible to miss.

“I, I’m sorry, you were saying?” Kieren gives his head a little shake, his eyes narrowing when a smile flickers over the man’s face. He doesn’t like being made fun of and he tries to draw himself up to full height and look angry, although the effect may be lost with his oversized leather jacket and slim figure.

“I said,” The man offers, voice infuriatingly calm, “You dropped this.”

And oh. _Oh._ Kieren looks at the sketchbook held out to him and blushes. He must have been really fixated on Blue Eyes to not notice his sketchbook falling out of his bag.

“Oh, I didn’t notice dropping that.” Kieren offers with a frown, praying that his blush looks like a result of cold weather rather than the gaze fixed upon him. “Thanks.”

“It’s only fair,” The other man offers with a smile, and for some reason his slow drawl grates on Kieren’s nerves. Something about him seems out of place; like a layer of paint thrown on haphazardly to cover what’s really underneath. “You did help me pick up my things the other day. Although, you were the reason I dropped them in the first place…  which is why I’m not sure whether or not it counts.”

And that does it. With a snap of his mind, Kieren recognizes Blue Eyes as the person he pumped into less than a week ago just outside his art class. He merely raises his eyebrows at the guy, disguising his shock at seeing him again, and shrugs.

“I was in a hurry.”

“And you had red paint all over your face,” The man offers with the hint of a smile. “At any rate, it’s a pleasure running into you again. Simon Monroe, third year Literature student and resident poet.”

“Kieren Walker, pleasure,” Kieren offers back to Blue Eyes –Simon- while shaking the man’s hand. He knows that he sounds skeptical but he really couldn’t help it because _resident poet? Seriously?_

The man smiles slightly bigger than before as if reading Kieren’s thoughts. He nods his head towards the group he sat with moments ago. “Tutoring session and I believe the break time is up. I’ll see you around, Kieren Walker.”

“Sure” Kieren answers, and can’t resist raising his eyebrows a bit. Amy would smack him if she were to see him now. _Don’t scare off Nice Blue Eyes you buffoon!_ She’d probably say. Actually, he’s pretty sure she said something of the like once or twice before. “See you.”

❅❅❅

For the next few days Simon Monroe is everywhere Kieren goes. He sees him in the little park near the dorms, he spots him with his head bent down over a journal, and he even passes him in the hallways a few times. Every time it happens Kieren feels a little jolt of something in his stomach. It’s unfamiliar, if not unpleasant, and it keeps him from talking to the guy. He ends up averting his eyes and walking away hurriedly each time.

❅❅❅

A few days later, they are back at the café and Kieren is doing his best to pretend he doesn’t notice that Blue Eyes is sitting a few tables away.

 “So?” Amy asks as she plops down on the seat opposite Kieren’s. “Done yet with the great project? Found your muse?” She holds up a finger to Kieren befor he could answer, grin high on her face, and turns around to shout at Philip who’s standing behind the counter at the other end of the shop. “Hello darling, get your best girl her usual and get your pretty arse over here will you? Oh, hello Mrs. Wilson!”

Kieren doesn’t bat an eyelash at the exchange since it’s become part of their routine by now. He continues to scribble in his notebook, all too aware that if he were to color the eyes he’s drawing they’d be blue. Stupid Simon and his stupid pretty blue eyes. Kieren doesn’t even like him.

“You really like him huh?” Amy’s voice is cheerful as ever with the added ring of amusement to it. She grins as she peers shamelessly down at Kieren’s sketchbook, not moving an inch when he swats her away.

“I don’t like him, Amy. You can’t like someone you’ve spoken to just once.” Kieren huffs out. He’s getting defensive and it’s making Amy’s smile widen, so he must change tactics or she’d be planning their wedding before long.

“Oiii you’ve spoken to him twice! Besides, he’s currently staring at you and looking kinda wounded puppy like… what did you do?” The speed with which his best friend jumps emotions will always awe Kieren. One second she’s smiling and the next she’s crossing her arms and glaring –good naturedly- at him with raised eyebrows.

“I did nothing! You can’t do anything to someone you’ve never spoken to more than once,” Kieren exclaims, then continues when it looks like Amy is about to argue. “And saying ‘excuse me for knocking you over’ doesn’t count as conversation. Not that I said that much to begin with.” The last part comes out more of a mumble but judging by Amy’s impressive eye roll, she catches it.

“Well, then, let’s fix that!”

 In a flash Amy is out of her seat and striding towards Simon. It takes a second for that piece of information to register with the dumbstruck Kieren, but he scrambles up and races to stop his friend the moment it sinks in. Except that he’s too late and Amy is already making introductions. Kieren could practically kill her right now, and then he’d bring her back to life and kill her again.

“ –Kieren’s best friend and the best drama student on campus.” Amy finshes by the time Kieren makes it to her side. His face is burning up but he chooses to ignore it in favor of giving Simon a small embarrassed smile. Simon looks taken aback briefly but then he grins up at Kieren, his eyes twinkling with something like mischief before he fixes them back on a still speaking Amy. “It’s nice to finally run into you, mate, Kieren has told me all about –Aw!” Amy throws a glare towards Kieren, kicking him in retaliation for kicking her in the first place. Kieren is aware of Simon pressing his lips together as if trying not to laugh, so he diverts his eyes to the ceiling, willing one of the deities he does not believe in to strike him down and end this misery. “Anyway, like I was about to say before I got _very_ rudely interrupted, it’s good to meet you.” And kieren breathes out a sigh of relief because as far as Amy rants go –that wasn’t so bad. Except, of course, he had spoken too soon. “And my you do have very nice blue eyes indeed, I thought Kieren was exaggera- ow! Would you stop doing that!”

“If you’d excuse us,” Kieren grits out as he takes hold of his best friend’s wrist, not meeting Simon’s knowing gaze in the process. “I think Philip is waiting for us with the drinks. Nice, um, running into you again.”

He flees before Simon has the chance to answer, all the while tugging at Amy to follow him.

“You’ll die a grumpy lonely old man, Kieren Walker, and you’ll only have yourself to blame.” Amy pouts the moment they’re seated. Philip looks on curiously between the two of them but doesn’t ask questions. “Didn’t even invite him to sit with us, did you?”

“Amy for heaven’s sake! That was uncalled for... all of it,” Kieren groans, covering his face with both hands. “I’ll never be able to look him in the eye ever again.”

“Way I see it? You’re being far too dramatic. Sometimes I wonder if you’re studying the wrong thing and would do better at acting. Anyway, I see no harm done. At least now he knows you fancy him, stop scowling. And you have blue paint all over your face by the way.”

“I don’t –wait what?” Kieren fishes out his mobile phone to use its dark screen as a mirror and, sure enough, there’s a long stripe of blue paint down his right cheek. “How long has that been there?” Kieren doesn’t scream the words but it’s a close thing. He’s always covered in some paint or another but he had been taking some care in looking presentable lately. Because of reasons he feels no need to discuss.

“Don’t worry it makes you look adorable, I think _he_ likes it.” Amy smiles at him like the shameless arse she is. He bets she didn’t say anything about it on purpose.

“It does make you look adorable,” Philip, ever the peacekeeper, offers kindly. “And who are we talking about?”

“Kieren’s future husband. They’re having an autumn wedding because they’re both the artsy type.” Amy states. Kieren really hates her sometimes.

“I really hate you sometimes,” He says, pouting into his drink.

“Why I love you too, darling.” She winks. “Philip, think we should go say hi to your mum love? Let’s go say hi to your mom.”

“Didn’t you just –ouch! Alright, yes, mum, hi, got it.” Philip rubs at his arm, where Kieren is sure Amy has elbowed him, and then he and Amy are getting up and leaving the table before Kieren could blink twice.

That’s all the warning Kieren gets that Amy is again up to something, and he doesn’t need to wonder what that something is for long. In mere seconds, a tall figure is approaching Kieren’s table with a smile and a stack of papers carried in his arms.

“Is that seat taken?” Simon nods towards one of the now empty chairs. Kieren sighs and shakes his head no. “I like your friend. She’s very enthusiastic.”

“Yeah,” Kieren mumbles, “Amy is great but I’m afraid she’s taken. The bloke over there just so happens to be her boyfriend.”

“Then it’s all too good it’s not Amy I’m interested in,” Simon answers without missing a beat, his pointed stare and soft smile leaving no doubt as to whom he means. Kieren feels his own lips twitching into a smile of their own accord. “Can I buy you lunch, Kieren Walker? Maybe you can tell me more about that sketchbook you keep dropping all over the place.”

“Says the man whose stuff I picked up on our first encounter.” Kieren returns quickly because this he could do. Sarcasm and banter are his forte, and they’re far easier to navigate than the crazy flutter in his chest.

“Only because you walked right into me. Or I into you, it’s a bit hazy.” Simon shrugs easily, his stance is more relaxed than usual and his smile reaches his eyes. “So lunch?”

“Favorite meal of the day.” Kieren nods, allowing the rush of giddy excitement to shape his lips into a grin. “Yes.”

Simon hands over his cell phone with a look of triumph at that, and Kieren shouldn’t feel fond of him when they’ve only spoken twice but he kind of does. He inserts his number into Simon’s mobile phone while Simon puts his own number on Kieren’s.

“I’ll call you with the details, later today.” Simon smiles as he offers Kieren’s phone back to him. His eyes are sparkling and Kieren decides that _happy_ is a good look on Simon Monroe.

Simon gets up to leave about an hour later, after they’ve exchanged opinions on Professors and even a few writers, and he still has that small smile playing at his mouth. It’s a beautiful smile and Kieren thinks of tracing it with his fingers, putting it down on paper with the colors he feels swirling in his chest. It occurs to him that he might have just found his final art project.

“I’ll see you later today then,” Simon says to him as he gathers his things, his words slow and hopeful. “And in case you’re wondering, my name is now listed as _Very Nice Blue Eyes_ on your phone, I thought it should give you an inkling of who it is.”

Kieren can feel the flush making its way up his neck but he smiles up at Simon anyway. So maybe he needs to buy Amy an ice cream and thank her later, but that doesn’t mean he’s about to admit that her shameless methods work sometimes.

“Just so you know,” Kieren says with a put upon sigh, “I’m already regretting this.”

His wide smile ruins the effect of the words and draws a laugh out of Simon, who shakes his head in turn.

“See you in a couple hours, Kieren,” Simon throws him one last smile and makes his way to the door.

“Later, Blue Eyes,” Kieren says back and if the momentary flush of Simon’s cheeks is anything to go by, he reckons that the other guy heard him.

Kieren decides then and there that blue might be his new favorite color, and later on his decision is cemented when he spends the rest of the day staring into light blue eyes and itching to draw them.

Yes, Kieren decides, blue is definitely his new favorite color.  

❅❄❅❄❅

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading and please tell me what you think. Kudos/comments are much appreciated.


End file.
